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San Diego Unsafe For Pedestrians

San Diego Unsafe For Pedestrians
A new report places San Diego on the list of the nation's 50 most dangerous areas to take a walk. Over the past 15 years, nearly two-thousand San Diegans have been killed while crossing a street or walking in their neighborhood.

A new report places San Diego on the list of the nation's 50 most dangerous areas to take a walk. Over the past 15 years, nearly 2,000 San Diegans have been killed while crossing a street or walking in their neighborhood.

The report comes from the group Transportation for America. It provides an in-depth analysis of pedestrian safety.

The study finds in 2007 and 2008, pedestrians made up 20 percent of all traffic deaths in San Diego.

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Kenneth Grimes directs WalkSanDiego. He says there are a number of factors that make the region unsafe for walkers.

"There is a culture of driving," Grimes says. "Our streets are too wide. There are not sufficient number of amenities and facilities within walking distance of destinations, so people feel compelled to drive to get from A to B."

Grimes believes more traffic safety funding should be dedicated to walkers. And he says new developments should consider pedestrians in the design phase.